This invention relates to processes for preparing and using electrographic or ionographic imaging members, and particularly to imaging members comprising a conductive substrate, a charge blocking layer, and a dielectric imaging layer comprising an elastomeric fluoropolymer.
In electrography or ionography, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a dielectric imaging surface of an imaging layer (electroreceptor) by various techniques such as by ion stream (ionography), stylus, shaped electrode, and the like. Development of the electrostatic latent image may be effected by contacting the imaging surface with electrostatically attractable marking or toner particles whereby the particles deposit on the imaging surface in conformance to the latent image. The deposited particles may be transferred to a receiving member (such as paper) and the imaging surface may be cleaned and cycled through additional imaging and development cycles. These imaging and developing steps are well known in the art of electrography and are disclosed in many patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,584, 4,463,363, 4,524,371, 4,644,373 and 4,584,592.
In addition, it is often important that electrostatographic imaging members be compatible with various imaging systems. Modern copiers and printers employ various development systems utilizing liquid or dry developers for producing color or black and white images. It is desirable to create an imaging member which will function in a many imaging systems as possible because not all existing imaging members function equally effectively in all environments. Ideally, an imaging member would be created to function equally effectively in liquid or dry developers and be useful in color or black or white copying systems.
Imaging members for electrography have been described. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,598, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. It has been found that imaging members in which the image receiving layer is made of a fluoroelastomer are particularly useful, especially in fabrication of flexible imaging members, such as continuous belt imaging members. However, in certain applications, particularly where an aluminum or aluminized conductive substrate is used, these imaging members exhibit some high charge injection effects from the substrate into the dielectric layer. This can result in non-capacitive charging causing high charge decay rates and low development potential. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a fluoroelastomer-based imaging member in which these effects are minimized or eliminated.